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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. board — a committee
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. fine — high quality
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. board — to get on
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. hand — help
  9. bear — the animal
  10. fine — all right
  11. court — for sport
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — music
  16. court — of law
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wake — a trail
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — the animal
  21. date — the fruit
  22. court — of a king
  23. hand — in cards
  24. board — a flat piece

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com